The Godrej Literature Live! Mumbai LitFest 2026 Panel Turns Into Cricket Pitch; Shashi Tharoor And Rahul Bhattacharya Discuss Sports, Books And Literature

The second day of the Godrej Literature Live! Mumbai LitFest 2026 brought together cricket and literature enthusiasts for an engaging session titled Lines At Length: Cricket Books And Why We Love Them. Featuring Indian journalist and novelist Rahul Bhattacharya and NCP MP and author Shashi Tharoor, the discussion explored the relationship between cricket, storytelling and the written word. Indian sports writer and journalist Ayaz Memon chaired the session.

The conversation was lively, thoughtful and heartwarming, with Memon steering the discussion through insightful questions while Tharoor and Bhattacharya shared their perspectives on cricket books, sports novels and the appeal of writing about the game.

Cricket Beyond The Boundary

For a country that celebrates cricket with extraordinary passion, literature about the sport remains relatively limited. This gap emerged as an important point during the discussion, highlighting how a game that inspires millions of emotions still has considerable scope to grow as a literary subject.

The panel explored why cricket lends itself to storytelling and how books can capture the human experiences behind the sport. The session offered cricket lovers an opportunity to look at their favourite sport through a literary lens.

Mumbai LitFest 2026 Draws To A Close

Earlier on Day 2, Tharoor had also participated in a session with Indian author Pavan K. Varma, discussing the nuances of ancient Indian philosophy. The three-day Godrej Literature Live! Mumbai LitFest 2026 will conclude on October 25, bringing an eventful celebration of books, ideas and creativity to a close.

This year's festival brought together renowned authors and literary voices for book launches, poetry, debates and discussions on thought-provoking subjects. From ancient philosophy to cricket literature, the sessions reflected the many ways in which stories and ideas continue to shape conversations.